Jags land Blake Bortles' replacement in Draft Wire mock

At this point of the season last year, mock drafts were the last thing on the minds of Jacksonville Jaguars fans as the team was chasing the AFC South title. Now, it seems the draft can’t get here soon enough as the season has been a tough one and the Jags’ flaws have come to the light.

As most are aware, Jags quarterback Blake Bortles was benched this week, which marks the second time he’s been sen to the pine this season. That, of course, has cause many to wonder about his future and most seem to think the Jags will draft a replacement in 2019.

The fast rising signal-caller from Ohio State, Dwayne Haskins, is a player who has often been slotted within the top-10 picks of the 2019 draft and was selected by the Jags in this particular instance. For Jags fans, there is not much to dislike about the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, as he’s been very accurate in 2018, completing 69 percent of his passes while racking up 4,081 passing yards in the process.

When popping in the tape, Haskins’ attention to accuracy, touch and ball placement becomes clearer, and that’s something the Jags have lacked since drafting Bortles five years ago. That in mind, with the right offensive coordinator and personnel circumstances around him, Haskins has the chance to be solid in the NFL, but he will need some time to develop before seeing the field as a starter. He just became the Buckeyes’ full-time starter this season and there are mechanical things he can clean up, too.

Still, Haskins would be a great addition for the Jags if a veteran is present to learn from alongside a coordinator who can bridge the college and pro game in one playbook for him.

As for the rest of the selections by Easterling, they all would address pressing needs, especially the additions of Noah Fant and DaMarkus Lodge. Fant would give them a freakish athlete who often manages to find himself breaking away from defenders after the catch, while Lodge is a player who adjusts well to the football and has a great catch radius.

It goes without saying the Jags need help on the offensive line, too, and Tyree St. Louis is a player they’ve likely seen a lot of at the nearby University of Miami. He’s often been praise due to his length and foot speed, both of which are traits that could take him a long way in the NFL.

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